Portable enclosures, such as tents, have been used as blinds and shelters since the beginning of recorded time. The structure and appearance of such enclosures is as varied as human culture.
More recently, easily portable, lightweight, durable and affordable enclosures have become a desirable accessory for many outdoor recreational activities, including camping and hunting. The widespread availability of modern lightweight structures and fabrics has resulted in the availability of literally hundreds of new designs for portable enclosures. Among the many popular current styles for tents and hunting blinds are the so-called “collapsible” structures which utilize a spring-like framework which can be easily collapsed and folded for transportation and storage. Such popular designs are typified in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,675,667, issued to Miller.
It is also well known to apply camouflage or background matching patterns or colors to portable enclosures. It is desirable, particularly for hunters, that a tent or hunting blind be as inconspicuous as possible in its environment, and the development of realistic camouflage patterns for such enclosures (as well as other articles) has resulted in the widespread availability of enclosures which are almost invisible in specific backgrounds. For example, such enclosures may be provided with a typical woodland's camouflage pattern, in which the enclosure's fabric bears a depiction of typical mid-summer forest greenery, including the usual mix of deciduous and coniferous foliage, underbrush and grasses which might be found in a Midwestern woodland. Enclosures bearing particular camouflage patterns may also benefit by having interchangeable coverings, such as those taught by our currently pending United States patent application entitled “Collapsible Enclosure With Interchangeable and Reversible Covering Elements”, Ser. No. 10/025,279.
Use of existing enclosures in the outdoor environment has been successful However, it is apparent from such use that significant improvements could be achieved by more effectively blending such devices into the woodland's background by adding 3-dimensional elements, particularly around the perimeter of the device. The rationale for this improvement is that even when provided with otherwise effective camouflage patterns, it has been discovered that the well-defined edges of such enclosures is discernable to the eye, and particularly noticeable to certain species of wildlife.
There is a need, therefore, for a camouflage-type enclosure which is provided with means for interrupting the otherwise curvilinear or linear edges and planar sides of the enclosure, particularly in relation to an environment of varied foliage types.